Chemehuevi Nuisance Burro Removal

Begins August 2012

Background

The Bureau of Land Management will capture and remove approximately 60 wild burros impacting the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation lands near Havasu Lake, California in accordance with the removal of strayed animals from private lands provisions of 43 Code of Federal Regulations 4720.2-1. The regulation provides "Upon written request from the private landowner to any representative of the Bureau of Land Management, the authorized officer shall remove stray wild horses and burros from private lands as soon as practicable."

The Needles Field Office received a letter from the Chairman of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe requesting burros be removed from their Reservation lands because they have become a public safety hazard and a public nuisance causing private property damages. Within the past six months, two burros received mortal injuries after being struck by vehicular traffic on a public highway.

Trapping and removal activities would occur from mid-August, 2012 and continue for approximately 4 -6 weeks. The method of capture will be removal by bait trapping. This will be implemented by the Ridgecrest Field Office wrangler crews. Two to three bait traps will be placed within the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation in the area where burros are creating a nuisance. The location of the trap sites will be coordinated with the Chemehuevi Conservation Officer. No trapping activities sites will take place on public lands managed by the BLM.

All removed burros will be placed into the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program. The health and welfare of all the animals will be given the highest priority.